Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas

Backseaters: Buckle Up!

Passengers in the rear seats of vehicles who do not buckle up pose increased risks to themselves and to drivers, according to a recent medical study.

According to a recent issue of the medical journal Academic Emergency Medicine, a driver in a serious, head-on crash is more than twice as likely to be killed if a passenger sitting directly behind him is not wearing a seat belt. A separate 2004 study by the American Medical Association estimates that one in six crash deaths of drivers or front-seat passengers could be prevented if passengers in the back seat were buckled up.

Okay, folks, there it is. Everyone in the vehicle needs to be belted, and not just for you, but for your fellow vehicle occupants.